-By Diana Saakian Bokhari
E-mail: Diana@naturalanimal.ca
Dogs and cats, as humans, need proper nutrition to support healthy vision. In fact, they are even more sensitive because of their carnivorous nature, and rely heavily on the quality of protein that they ingest. Choosing to feed your pet a fresh, human-grade raw food diet ensures a fundamental building block for healthy eyes. Raw meat not only contains necessary amounts of taurine and other amino acids, it also contains vital nutrients and enzymes which are destroyed by the cooking process. It is never too late to change your pet’s diet for the better, even if they have begun to develop cataracts, you can still help to curb the process. According to Wendell Belfield’s How To Have A Healthier Dog (CJ Puotinen, page382), veterinarians have successfully used vitamins and minerals to not only prevent cataracts, but also to reverse and eliminate them.
Cataracts, calcification of the lens of the eye, appear as cloudy circles in the center of the iris of the eye. They may be caused by injury, or by lack of nutrients in one’s diet. Let’s take a closer look at some steps that can help to support healthy eyes naturally.
CJ Puotinen writes in The
Encyclopedia of Natural Pet Care (page 59), “Pet food manufacturers and the
veterinarians courted by their sales representatives have convinced most
Americans that because commercial pet foods are designed in laboratories by
people with academic credentials and because their labels contain long lists of
nutrients and claims of being “scientifically balanced” and “nutritionally
complete,” they are superior to anything an animal might consume. Table scraps, raw food, “people food” and any
supplements that might disrupt the commercial food’s precisely controlled
distribution of vitamins and minerals are particularly frowned on.
There is no doubt that commercial pet foods sustain life. Dogs, cats and other animals live for years on foods that come out of bags, cans and boxes. But do these foods promote health? If they did, our companion animals would enjoy long, happy lives free of arthritis, hip dysplasia, eye problems, ear problems, fleas and other parasites, gum disease, lick granulomas, thyroid imbalances, skin and coat problems, personality disorders, birth defects, breeding problems, diabetes, cancer and other major and minor illnesses.”
Your pet’s best defense against eye degeneration, is feeding it a natural, high quality raw food diet free of grains. Although there is presently much dispute about the safety issues of feeding raw meat, we must remember that dogs are very close relatives with wolves, and are essentially, on the biological level, identical to them. Their bodies are not designed to consume cooked meats or grains, but rather, due to a much shorter digestive track, they are able to safely digest raw proteins without giving bacteria enough time to cause damage (this does not apply to raw fish, as most fish contain parasites, and must therefore be cooked to eliminate them). Probiotics (friendly bacteria) should be added to the diet to help ensure better digestion and absorption of nutrients. Grains on the other hand, are more difficult to digest and are not the ideal source of carbohydrates for canines or felines, which is why we often see allergies related to, or aggravated by them. When choosing raw food diets, make sure that they meet HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point – food handling) requirements, are nutritionally complete, and do not contain by-products, chemicals, fillers, charcoal, or other inactive ingredients.
Antioxidants play the role of helping the body to remove free radicals before they accumulate and damage cells and their surrounding tissues. These vitamins and minerals include Vitamins A, C and E, manganese, selenium and zinc. Cats respond well to vitamin A found in either cod or shark liver oils, where dogs do equally well on beta- carotene. Sweet potatoes (or Yams), carrots, and other orange fruits and green and yellow veggies contain beta-carotene. When choosing a beta-carotene vitamin, opt for a mixed carotenoid complex.
Vitamin C is best assimilated in a buffered form instead of the regular ascorbic acid; this makes it more bioavailable, makes it less acidic, and helps prevent stomach upset. Vitamin C is usually dosed according to bowl tolerance; therefore it is preferable to commence with a lower dose, and work your way up. Although vitamin C has been shown effective in treating kidney stones, if your pet suffers from such chronic condition please talk to your veterinarian before adding high doses of this vitamin.
Vitamin E is fat soluble, meaning it will remain in the body longer than a water-soluble vitamin such as C, which is flushed out with urine. Vitamin E works as front-line defense against membrane preoxidation in synergy with selenium. It is best given in the form of mixed tocopherols as this is its most natural form. “Vitamin E promotes normal blood clotting, aids in preventing cataracts, maintains healthy nerves and muscles, and promotes healthy skin and hair (Natural Health Bible for Dogs and Cats, Shawn Messonnier, D.V.M., page 302).” Always check with a qualified holistic veterinarian for proper dosages according to your pet’s body weight especially for vitamins A and E, and minerals, as they can accumulate in the body.
Bilberry (related to blueberries) also has antioxidant properties and contains highly active flavanoids that aid in strengthening capillaries. It is often taken by people who have eye disorders especially cataracts, macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy. Bilberry is considered to be a food, and is therefore relatively safe. If your pet is on hypoglycemic therapy, please use it with veterinary supervision.
Our eyes are our means to behold the beauty of our world. Spirituality teaches us that eyes are also the gateway to our souls; they express our innermost feelings and allow us numinous contact with other beings. In essence, eyes, and vision, are one of the greatest gifts for all species, and is most definitely worth preserving.